Almost Her Baby
by robinscorpiofan
Summary: Brooke was finally getting everything she wanted. But the moment Chloe looked into that baby's eyes, it all fell apart. Now, Brooke is left to pick up the pieces, wondering why she can't get her happily ever after for just once in her life.
1. Suddenly Everything Has Changed

Almost Her Baby

The only word she could think of was numb. Her entire body felt numb. She couldn't think, couldn't feel. In the moment she saw Chloe holding that perfect baby girl, her whole world stopped. Now, it felt like she was just reliving that moment over and over again.

So Brooke had just started walking. She went wherever her feet took her, not really having a destination in mind. She heard a sharp cry and looked up. There, right in front of her, was the nursery.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the window. There were at least 10 babies in there. Some were squirming, some were sleeping. She stood there, watching them. It would hurt when she thought about it later, but for right now, this was what she wanted to do.

She smiled when she read the first name tag. _Lydia Bob Scott_. Nathan and Haley had chose Quinn and Clay as Lydia's godparents, but Brooke didn't mind; she already had Jamie. She watched as little Lydia moved her tiny arms around.

Her eyes scanned the other babies, wondering which one would have been hers. If only she had proven herself better. If only she was more dedicated. If only Chloe's boyfriend hadn't come back.

Brooke shook her head; she couldn't, no, wouldn't think like that. For some reason, that baby was meant to be with Chloe. Who was she to intervene with fate?

"Can I help you?" she turned around to face an older woman dressed in scrubs.

"Oh, no. I'm just looking."

The woman came over to stand by her with a knowing smile. "Is one of them yours?"

"No." _but one should have been_, she silently added. "That little one is my friends' baby."

"Lydia Bob. Her middle name is interesting." Brooke started to defend it, but the nurse smiled. "I like it."

"Yeah." She kept her eyes glued to the precious baby girl. What would it have been like if she got the baby? Then she and Haley would be raising daughters together.

"I know there's more to the story than that." Brooke's attention was snapped back to the woman. "What happened?"

She was a little weary of explaining to this stranger, but needed someone to vent to. Julian had been amazing, but she couldn't unload this burden on him. After all, he had lost the baby too.

Brooke stood there, telling the story of her infertility, Chloe, and the baby to this woman. She just nodded, absorbing the information as the young girl talked.

"Would you like to hold her?" the question stunned Brooke. She looked at the nurse.

"Isn't there some rule against that…"

"She was almost your baby. You at least deserve to say goodbye. If anyone asks, we can just say you were visiting little Lydia. Come on." The woman led her into the nursery. Brooke felt her breath catch in her throat as they got closer and closer to the bassinet.

The woman reached down, lifting the baby into her strong, but gentle arms. Brooke smiled sadly.

"Here you go." Brooke accepted the baby, holding her close to her. As soon as that child was in her arms, she knew it was a bad idea. But she couldn't help but fall in love, forcing her to cling to what could have been for just a little bit longer.

"Hey sweetie." She cooed. "My name's Brooke. I know you don't know me and there's really no reason for your mother to ever tell you about me, but I was almost your mommy. You see, Chloe, your mom, she's very young. She didn't think that she could do this alone. So she came to me and my husband Julian and told us we could have you. We were going to give you this great life. I know that normal nurseries are painted pink or blue, but yours was going to be black. Chloe decided on that and I agreed because my best friend Peyton had a black room. Some people might have thought that was strange, but I know you would have loved it.

"But now, your daddy is back. He and your mommy are going to keep you. I just want you to know that I'm never going to forget you, okay? Because for a little while, you were my baby."

Brooke stood there in silence for another minute, just staring down at that child's beautiful little face. She was a quiet baby and just stared up at her with her big, blue eyes.

"Thank you." She said to the woman, nodding her head in appreciation. "Thank you so much." She passed the baby back to her, turning to wipe her tears away.

"Would you like to know her name?" Brooke turned around, looking at the woman. "Her parents decided on Sophia Brooklyn."

"Brooklyn." She whispered. Had they picked the name after her? "That's beautiful."

"What name did you and your husband have picked out?"

"Amelia." She said. "Amelia Haley Baker."

"I'm sure she would have loved it." The nurse said with a smile.

"Thanks again." She turned around, looking out the window. Haley was standing there, Nathan by her side. They both were staring at her, a little confused. Brooke ran from the room, going straight to them, hugging them both.

"Chloe had the baby and she's keeping her." She sobbed. Haley wrapped her arms tightly around Brooke's waist as Nathan stroked her hair. They stood like that for a little while.

Quinn, Clay, Julian, and Jamie came around the corner, intending to go see Lydia. But they froze when they saw Brooke, Nathan, and Haley. It would have felt like they were intruding if they went any closer. The three were best friends and had known each other since high school. Right now, they needed this.

"Why is Aunt Brooke crying?" Jamie asked quietly. "Mom and Lydia are okay."

"How about we talk about that later, buddy?" Julian suggested. He watched as his wife slowly pulled away from her friends. She turned towards the glass, blowing a kiss at it. Then, he realized what was going on.

Chloe was pushed over in her wheelchair by Eric. She took in the scene before her, a little overwhelmed. When Brooke saw her, she stepped back a little bit, bumping into Nathan. The ex basketball star steadied her quickly and got ready to defend her if needed.

"Hey." The teen whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine." Brooke responded, void of all emotions. "I understand."

"Then why are you here?" they all looked at Eric. "This is my daughter, not yours. You have no rights to her whatsoever, so why are you standing around the nursery like you're going to swoop in and take her?"

"Back off, man." Nathan said, shooting Haley a look that told her not to get too worked up. She sat down in her wheelchair, crossing her arms. "She's here to see my daughter."

Chloe's eyes were sad as she stared at the woman who was so willing to take her daughter in. Brooke wouldn't look at her.

"Brooke." She whispered. Once their eyes met, she continued. "We picked Brooklyn as her middle name. After you."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm really sorry about how this turned out. But you have to understand. I just looked at her and fell in love."

"I get it."

"So now Aunt Brooke doesn't get a baby?" everyone looked at Jamie when he came over. "You're keeping it?"

"Jamie…" Brooke started.

"No, that's not fair. You can't just give something to someone and then snatch it back. That's Aunt Brooke's baby, not yours."

"Listen, kid…" Eric began.

"No you listen, you little jerk." Haley jumped up, stepping threateningly close to him. "You do not talk to my best friend or my son like that. Second, you have no right to come around after being gone for Chloe's pregnancy and then demand to keep the child. Do you not understand the severity of this situation? Brooke wanted this baby, she made a nursery, she fell in _love_ with this child and now she's just being ripped away from her? Have a little compassion."

"I know it's hard for her. But she's _my_ baby. _I_ get her."

"It's a _child_, not a possession." Nathan interrupted. "Ask yourself if this is the best life you could give to that little girl. Brooke and Julian have so much to offer."

That was when the other three adults approached, standing next to their family. Eric just glared at Nathan.

"Whatever. It's my kid. Come on, Chloe." He pushed the wheelchair into the nursery.

"I'm sorry." She called as he pushed her away.

Brooke turned, walking away, her heels clacking noisily as she moved. She didn't know how to feel. The emotions hit her like a ton of bricks. She was sad and angry at the same time, but didn't know which she should go through first.

"Brooke!" she heard Julian call after her, but couldn't stop. He caught up with her, gently turning around. "Baby, it's going to be okay."

_Baby_. Her heart skipped a beat every time he called her that. But babies were the last thing she wanted to think about.

"Look, Julian, I know you want to help me, but you can't. I need to be alone right now, okay?" he stared at her in defeat. "I love you." She kept walking.

**This is my first One Tree Hill story, so I'm a little nervous about it. Please Review! **


	2. Hanging by a Moment

Brooke opened the door slowly, flipping the light switch on. The brightness immediately flooded the room. She stared at the three splotches of paint on the wall. She hadn't been able to decide what color to use, though they had been leaning towards black.

Baby things filled the corner of the room. She remembered how happy she had been when she went shopping for those. Suddenly, anger filled her body. She wanted that baby and Chloe had no right to rip it away from her.

Brooke went over to the corner of the room and picked up a stuffed animal, throwing it against the wall. Then, she grabbed a mobile and snapped it in half. One by one, all of the baby items were either thrown or broken. By the time she was done, she was crying so hard she couldn't see straight.

"Hey." Julian's quiet voice just set her off even more. She whipped around to face him with a newfound fire in her eyes.

"How can you be so calm? We just lost that baby!"

"Brooke…" he stepped forward, but she jumped back.

"No, don't touch me. You never wanted this, did you? You're probably glad that the adoption didn't work out. Now, while I'm hurt and vulnerable, you're probably going to try and talk me into moving to LA for your stupid movie career." Brooke yelled.

"I lost that baby too, Brooke, not just you!" Julian shouted back. "I want that child and I wanted us to have a family. This has nothing to do with LA or anything else. You're angry and you're taking it out on me and that's not fair."

"Not fair? You wanna know what's not fair, Julian? I've lost three children. Three. Angie, Sam, and now this baby. Sure, none of them were mine biologically, but I loved them so much that I would have died to keep them safe! And you know what else? I'm never going to be able to have a child of my own. That's not fair."

Julian stopped, taking a deep breath. He knew that she was stressed out and anger was the easiest way for her to deal with things. "Brooke, I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You don't care. You can just go off and have a baby with someone else, okay?"

"I'm not leaving you."

"Why not?" she screamed.

"Because I love you and you're my wife. I promise that I will never, ever leave you."

"Don't say that, Julian. Just like Peyton used to say, everybody leaves. My parents left me, Lucas left me, Peyton left me, and even Sam left me. Right now you might think that you're going to stay, but everybody leaves."

She brushed past him, leaving the nursery. Julian turned, following her to their bedroom where she pulled a suitcase out from under the bed.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

"I'm going to go stay at a hotel or something. Right now, I just can't be around you. I need time to think and be alone." She shoved some clothes inside the bag before zipping it up. Brooke lifted the handle and pulled it from the room.

Julian followed, standing at the front door as he watched her walk away. "You say everyone leaves, Brooke! I guess you're the perfect example!"

As she turned around to yell at him, he slammed the door shut.

Haley rocked little Lydia in her arms. She was hopelessly in love with her daughter. She had Nathan's dark brown hair and she was sure that the baby would have his blue eyes too.

The doorbell interrupted her thoughts and she put Lydia into her crib, turning off the light as she left the room. Haley opened Jamie's door slowly and saw that he was asleep. She shut it again and went downstairs.

When she opened the door, she was shocked to see Brooke standing there, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go."

"You're always welcome here, Brooke. Come in." Haley led her to the couch. "What's wrong?"

"Everything! Since we lost that baby, Julian and I have been doing nothing but fighting. He acts like nothing ever happened and it makes me so angry!" she wiped furiously at her tears. "What did I do to deserve all this, Hales? I know I partied a little too much in high school and I wasn't always particularly nice, but does that mean that I shouldn't ever be able to have a child?" Brooke sighed. "Maybe I should just take that as a sign. I would probably be a horrible mother anyway."

"Don't say that. You are amazing with Jamie, Brooke. You will be a mother; you just have to keep on trying."

"But there's just this nagging little feeling in the back of my mind that I want this a whole lot more than Julian does. I think he would rather work on his career."

"Then maybe you should both focus on your jobs and try for kids again in a few years. We're only 25, Brooke. You've got years to have a baby."

"But I want a baby now." She looked at her best friend. "When I came back to Tree Hill three years ago, that was why, Hales. I wanted a family and to be a mother. Now it's all just gone. I can't have kids and every time I get close to one, they get yanked away. I don't know what else to try because I can't handle losing another baby."

"What about a surrogate?" Haley suggested. "Then you would have a contract and they'd have to give you the baby."

"But it would be Julian's baby with another woman. I don't know if I could do it." Brooke forced a smile. "Are you sure I can't just take Lydia? You and Nate can have another one."

"No way." Haley hugged her. "It'll happen, Brooke. Just keep on trying." She brushed the woman's dark hair away from her eyes. "Now, tell me why you're here."

"Julian and I got in a fight. I told him he would leave eventually because everyone does and then he told me that I was the perfect example of that and slammed the door in my face." She shook her head. "Why do I screw things up every time they get good?"

"I'm sure you didn't screw things up. Just talk to him. He knows that you're going through a lot right now because he's going through it too."

"I guess."

"How about you spend the night though? It's getting late and I don't want you out driving." Haley had been worrying about people driving in the dark and rain ever since the accident where Jamie and Brooke had nearly drowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'll go get the guest room ready."

"Thanks, Hales." Brooke unexpectedly hugged her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Brooke woke up in the middle of the night to hear Lydia crying. She figured that if Nathan and Haley were sleeping still, she'd let them continue and if one of them were up, she could talk to them. She got out of bed and went down the hallway, opening the baby's door. She went over to the crib and lifted the baby into her arms.

"Hey there, Lydia. It's okay. Aunt Brooke's here. Shhh, it's okay." She took her over to the changing table and layed her down to change her diaper. Brooke then scooped Lydia back up, who wasn't crying anymore, and took her downstairs.

"You want your bottle, sweetie? I'll get you one, it's okay." She made a bottle and then put it on the stove. Brooke rocked the little girl while she made it, happy to just hold her.

The bottle was done and she tested it on her wrist. After deeming it the perfect temperature, she stuck it into the baby's mouth.

"There you go. All better." Brooke went into the living room and sat down on the couch, curling her legs up under her. "You are just the prettiest little baby." She ran a finger over little Lydia's cheek. "You know, I've known your mommy and daddy for a long time. Your daddy and I were best friends when we were little kids. When we got to high school, we kinda grew apart, but we're still friends now and I'm so happy about that. And your mommy and I were so different, but we kind of balanced each other and I think that's what made us so close. Now, she's my best friend. You know, Lydia, even though I'm your big brother's godmother, I'm not going to love him any more than you." She kissed the baby's forehead.

"You're good with her." Brooke turned her head slightly to look at Nathan.

"Thanks. Sorry I got her. I just thought you and Haley would like to sleep a little bit longer."

"It's okay." Nathan sat next to her. "She's pretty great, isn't she?"

"Amazing." Brooke smiled. "You and Haley make great kids."

"That we do." He looked at his lap. "I'm sorry, you know, about leaving you in high school. I didn't really call anymore or ask you to hang out…"

"It goes both ways, Nate. I could have done something too, but I was just so busy with cheerleading and Peyton and…"

"Lucas." He interrupted.

She nodded. "Yeah. Lucas."

Nathan studied her face. "Do you ever think about him?"

Brooke smiled sadly. "Every day. He was a huge part of my life and my first real relationship. I can't help but wonder if things would be different if…" she trailed off when she stopped to burp the baby.

"If it were Lucas instead of Julian?" she nodded. "What do you think would happen?"

"I don't know, Nate. I just think that I wouldn't feel like this. Lucas always knew the perfect thing to say. Lucas acknowledged that I was a real person. He would fight with me and scream at me and he wasn't scared to hurt my feelings. Julian treats me like I'm a delicate little flower that's going to break if he says one thing wrong."

"Maybe Lucas should have been more like that. I mean, you're with Julian and not him now."

"But part of me still loves Lucas. I always will." She looked into her friend's blue eyes. "You know, when I had Angie, I used to wonder what it would be like if she was our baby. For a little while, I actually thought there was a chance Lucas and I would get back together. But then Angie left and so did he."

"He didn't leave, Brooke. He just…"

"He started a relationship with Peyton." She sighed. "It doesn't even matter. Everyone says they're meant to be together."

"Everyone? I don't think that. I was always Team Brooke."

She smiled. "Thanks, Nathan. But unfortunately, Lucas wasn't." Brooke rested her head on his shoulder. "Maybe I picked the wrong Scott brother. I should have just married you."

He gave her his famous Scott smirk. "Yeah, something tells me Haley wouldn't like that very much."

"Good thing you two are so adorable or I might have to pull a Rachel and try and come between Naley. But I would actually succeed."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Because you wouldn't be able to resist my charm." She stuck the bottle back into Lydia's mouth.

Nathan laughed. "You give me very little credit. But seriously, Brooke, I think you need to confront how you're feeling. Do you really love Julian or are you still in love with Lucas?"

"I love both of them, Nate. I guess just not in the same way." He looked confused. "Julian is safe. He's sweet and dorky and adorable. But Lucas…Lucas was dangerous. I always knew there was a risk that he could break my heart, but I still kept coming back to him because when we were together, I felt wanted and beautiful and smart. He made me feel that way." She paused momentarily, as if she was considering if she should tell Nathan the next part. "Do you remember after Sawyer was born?"

Nathan shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Lucas and Peyton told me that they wanted me to be her godmother. I agreed, but it hurt so bad. You know why?" he shook his head. "In high school, Lucas told me that when we were older, he wanted to marry me and he wanted me to have his babies. Now, I was just his daughter with another woman's godmother. And all I could wish was that, somehow, this was all some cruel dream and that I'd wake up and still be 17 and still be Lucas's girlfriend."

"Did you ever talk to him about all of this?"

"What was I going to say? 'Hey Luke, remember when you said you wanted me to have your babies? Well I'm upset because I wish that had happened and now I'm just your kid's godmother'. Something tells me he and Peyton wouldn't have really liked that."

"God Brooke, when are you going to start being more selfish?" she stared at him in shock. "You keep putting your happiness aside to make sure Peyton gets hers. When has she ever done the same for you?" Brooke was silent. "Exactly. Never. I think you should call Lucas."

"There's no way I'm doing that. We're both married. He's got a kid with her, for God's sake."

"I didn't say you had to tell him you were both going to get divorced and run away together with Sawyer. I just think you need to talk through some of these things with him. I think this is why you can't fully open up with Julian. You're still holding on to these feelings of Lucas."

"I guess you're right." She sighed. "I don't want to though, Nate. He's just going to think I'm an idiot."

"No he won't." he looked sternly at her. "Tomorrow, you need to call."

"And what if Peyton answers the phone?"

"You guys were best friends once. Talk to her. Or ask about Sawyer." He stared into her hazel-green eyes. "This is something you've needed to do for a while and now it's time."

"Okay, Dr. Phil." She took the bottle out of Lydia's mouth and burped her. She held the newborn close to her, rocking her gently.

Nathan watched, feeling anger build up inside of him. Brooke deserved to be a mother. She was amazing with his kids and loved them so much.

"She's sleeping." Brooke whispered. "I'm going to go put her in her crib, if that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Goodnight, Nate. And thanks."

"Night, Brooke." She went upstairs.

Nathan pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number that he hadn't used in a while. "Hey, it's Nathan Scott. I need to see you."

**I'm so sorry that it took so long to update. My laptop broke, so I didn't have one for a while, but I got a new one, so I hope to update more often. **

**How did you like the Brooke and Julian part? What about the Baley and Brathan scenes? Brooke and Lydia?**

**Would you like Brooke to call Lucas?**

**Who do you think Nathan called?**

**Are there any characters you would like to see return to Tree Hill?**

**Should Dan come see his granddaughter?**

**Would you like to see some Brooke and Jamie scenes?**

**If you all can remember that far back, I was undecided on whether this was going to be a Brucas or a Brulian story. I'm leaning towards Brucas; I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos about them and, while I still like Brulian, I like Brucas more. If there is Lucas in this story, it won't be the surrogate/leukemia/Peyton died storyline. That's a little too much for one storyline.**

**Would you rather have Brooke with Lucas or Julian? If Lucas, then what should happen with Peyton and Sawyer, and Julian? **

**There may be an appearance with Chloe and the baby later in the story and I'm not really feeling the name Sophia Brooklyn anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking maybe Olivia or Ella. I would like to have Brooke/Brooklyn/Penelope or something like that as the middle name. **

**Once again, I'm sorry for the ridiculously late update. Please REVIEW and I'll try to update soon!**


	3. There's Gotta Be Something More

**Chapter 3: There's Gotta Be Something More**

Brooke woke up the next morning feeling a little bit better. She pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head, grimacing at how greasy it felt. The guest room door opened.

"Aunt Brooke!" Jamie ran in, jumping up onto her bed. He hugged her.

"Hey Jame." The one thing she would never regret agreeing to was being Jamie's godmother. The seven year old was one of the most important people in her life and she loved him with all her heart.

"Mama said to tell you breakfast is ready if you want some."

"Okay, I was just getting ready to come down." She picked him up and carried him out. "How have you been lately, buddy?"

He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Lydia cries a lot."

Brooke knew that her friends had been worried Jamie would feel left out, so she wanted to make sure she spent extra time with him. "She'll only do that while she's really little. I'm sure you'll like her better when she's older."

"I still wish I had a brother instead."

The brunette laughed. "Maybe your mom and dad will work on that when Lydia's a little older." They entered the kitchen and she put the boy in his chair. "Good morning, Haley. Morning, Lydia."

"Thank you so much for getting up with her last night. You didn't have to do that, Brooke."

"It's fine, Hales. I wanted to help. And it wasn't even bad. I liked being able to spend some quiet time with her."

"Well, thank you." Haley hugged her. "I made pancakes and bacon for breakfast. We have milk and orange juice in the fridge."

"Thanks." Brooke started to put pancakes on a plate. "Jamie, you want me to get you some?"

"Yes, please." She gave him the plate she had been making. "Thank you, Aunt Brooke!" he gave her a grateful smile and then started to eat.

"Brooke, you are amazing with my kids." Haley commented.

"They make it really easy."

"Good morning, Scotts!" Clay Evans entered the backdoor. "Hey, Brooke. What are you doing here?"

Clay and Brooke had met for the first time when they were 18 and 16, respectively. Brooke and Rachel Gatina took a vacation with Brooke's parents to New York, where her father had to have some meeting with a business tycoon by the name of Robert Evans. She and Rachel met Clay and the three of them hit it off, but after summer ended, they went their separate ways. Brooke hadn't seen Clay again until he signed as Nathan's agent four years ago.

"We had a sleepover!" Haley said, giving him a look that told him not to question her any further, at least around the kids. "What brings you by so early in the morning?"

"I have some documents for Nate to sign. Is he around?"

"Yeah, he's in his office. He's been in there all morning doing something secretive. He kicked me out when I went in there." Haley told him as she finished stirring Jamie's milk and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Mama."

"You're welcome, baby." She turned her attention back to Clay. "Do you happen to know what that's all about?"

"No, I have no idea. I'll go check on him." He walked out.

Brooke started to eat her bacon as she watched the family interact. Haley had her newborn in one arm and a pen in the other as she went over her son's homework. To her, her best friend was practically superwoman; she managed to run a record label, raise two kids, be a good wife, and her house was _spotless_. It was amazing.

"Hales?"

"Hmmm?"

"How do you do it?" Haley looked up at her for further explanation. "I mean, you do so much and you make it look so easy."

The young mother laughed. "Trust me, it takes a lot of work to make it _look_ easy. On the inside, I'm just like any other parent with a hectic life." Her phone rang right as she spoke. "And duty calls. Hello…what…how did that…no, no I understand, but…I still have to take Jamie to school…I'll be there as soon as I can."

"What's wrong?" Brooke questioned.

"Everything is going crazy at Red Bedroom and Mia can't find any of my paperwork, so I'm going to have to go in and try and explain everything to her."

"Hales, you just had a baby! You can't go back to work!"

"I'm not really going to be working. I'll just show her how to do everything." Haley sighed and stuffed Jamie's homework back into his folder. "It's times like these that I wish Peyton was here. This company was supposed to be her responsibility and I need her help. Jame, get dressed. I'm gonna take you to school and bundle Lydia up and then we'll go to Red Bedroom."

"I can help you." Brooke offered.

"No, it's fine, Brooke. I've got it."

"Hales, I want to. I can take Jamie to school and I'll keep an eye on Lydia while you're out."

"Oh, I'll just ask Nathan…"

Right as she spoke, Nathan and Clay came into the kitchen, the latter grabbing a slice of bacon from the plate she had on the stove. She slapped his hand.

"Ask me what?" the former Ravens star questioned.

"Nothing." Brooke answered. "Please, Haley? _Please?_"

"Uh, fine." Haley transitioned the baby into her best friend's arms. "Mia is having a hard time getting everything up and running and I'm going to go help her real quick. Brooke's going to watch Lydia. Could you drop Jamie off at school?"

"Yeah, we were just getting ready to go. Get dressed, boy." Nathan said to his son.

Jamie jumped down from his stool and ran to his room. The house was so quiet that they could hear his little bare feet all the way up the stairs.

"So, what's going on with you, B?" Clay asked. "It's not really normal for you to crash with Nate and Haley."

"Julian and I had a bit of a, um, disagreement, and I decided it was better to distance myself from the situation." Brooke looks at Clay (and Nathan) as if he is her older brother, so it is kind of awkward to talk to him about her relationships.

"That sucks. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." She sighed. "I should have never broken up with Chase. He was such a nice boy."

Clay started laughing. "You and Chase? Chase Adams?"

"Yeah. We dated in high school."

His laughter increased. "Wow. I don't know how someone who looks like him could score someone who looks like you!"

"Chase is cute." Haley defended. Nathan shot her a look. "In a purely platonic way, of course." He was still staring at her. "Brooke's the one who dated him!"

The other three all turned to look at the brunette. She just shrugged. "Okay, so he is a little funny looking, but he's a nice guy. He was a really great boyfriend."

"Am I sensing a little rekindling of Brase?" Nathan joked.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Chase is Mia's now. If he asked me right now to date him, would I consider it? Probably."

Nathan's phone beeped and he looked down at it, then at Clay. "We've gotta go. JAMIE!"

"Where are you rushing off to?" Haley demanded.

"Business thing. See ya later." He kissed her, then Lydia's forehead, and then Brooke's.

Jamie ran down the stairs. "Bye, Mama!" he hugged Haley and kissed her. "Bye, Aunt Brooke!" he repeated his actions.

"Mama Scott." Clay gave Haley a lopsided grin. "Brookie Cookie." He followed Nathan and Jamie out.

"God, Clay is such a dork." Brooke rolled her eyes and then looked at the baby who was practically her niece. "Hey baby girl. You're so pretty. Yes you are!" she looked at Haley, who seemed as if she was in deep thought. "What?"

"What about you and Clay?"

"Clay? Clay Evans?"

"No, the other thousand Clays we know!" Haley sarcastically replied. "You guys have known each other for, what, nine years? He's a good guy."

"There are three things wrong with this statement. First of all, ewww. Clay is like my brother. Second, he's dating your sister. And third, I'm married." She held up her left hand.

"I'm just giving you possibilities, Tigger." Haley smiled. "I'm gonna go change. Watch my baby."

"Will do." Brooke watched Haley leave the room. She looked down at the baby. "Well Lyddie, it's just me and you now. Wanna hear a story?" the baby blinked. "I'll take that as a yes. Once upon a time, there was a rich, jerk basketball star and a nerdy tutor who wore ponchos…"

Quinn James had gone to school at Tree Hill High, but a lot of people forgot that because of the legends that she had surrounding her. There was her older sister, bad girl Taylor James who slept with practically every boy that she encountered in her four years. Then there was her younger sister, married and pregnant in high school Haley James Scott. So a lot of the people around her age tended to forget her.

It wasn't much different at home. Her oldest brother, Jason, had always been the model child, with his straight A's and perfect relationship. He and his high school sweetheart, Sydney, married after they _both _completed medical school and they now have five kids- three teenaged girls named Charlie, Morgan, and Chelsea, and two younger sons named Henry and Brady.

Her oldest sister, Vivian, was the daughter her parents had been waiting for. Later on, after the youngest three were born, Vivian practically raised them since their parents were too busy riding off in an RV all over the world. She went to law school and married a man named Isaac who is big in the corporate world and they have one little angel for a child, a daughter named Lauren.

Her next brother, Zane, would have been perfect too, if it wasn't for the fact that he had divorced after being married for only six months, ruining their "good family name", as their dad had screamed, by having an affair. But now, he married his mistress, Allison, and they seem happy together. He is into business and his wife doesn't work.

The youngest of the boys, Teddy, was the first disappointment. He got in with the wrong crowd and ended up in rehab at the age of 18. But he managed to get back on track and now has a pretty good job as the manager of an office. He is engaged to a woman by the name of Alicia, who is a real estate agent, and they are planning on having children soon after the wedding.

Taylor was the trouble child who always needed to be corrected and took any attention she could get, even if it was negative. Though she is now unemployed and struggling to support her partying ways, she still managed to outshine Quinn in their mother's eyes, right up to the very in.

It's not surprising that even Haley is better. She was gifted in school even from the time she was in kindergarten, could sing, _and_ learned to play the piano. Now she's got Red Bedroom Records, Nathan, and two perfect kids.

And Quinn is just…Quinn. A freelance photographer with a divorce on her record and now in a relationship with her brother-in-law's agent. But who even knows how long that will last? Yeah, she likes Clay, but does she love him? Quinn doesn't really think so.

Quinn exited out of the document of the latest pictures she had taken; she wasn't really in the mood to edit after thinking about all of her siblings. Yeah, she loved having a big family and being able to say she had survived life in the James house. But she really wished that they would appreciate her more.

She decided that it would be a good idea to go for a run. She threw on a pair of sweats and tossed her hair in a ponytail, then slipped her shoes on and ran out the door. She jogged across the bridge, wondering just how many people had walked in the exact same spot as her.

She crashed right into a tall man with somewhat curly dirty blonde hair. He grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

"Whoa."

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Quinn brushed her bangs out of her face.

"It's okay." He grinned at her and she would be lying if she didn't admit that something in her heart fluttered.

"I'm Quinn, Quinn James." He held his hand out.

He mimicked her actions with a smirk. "Jake, Jake Jagielski."


	4. Saying Goodbye

**Chapter 4: Saying Goodbye**

"You didn't have to say your last name, you know. I could never forget you."

Nathan hugged the brunette woman with a smile. "I wanted to be sure. I don't know how many new people you've met since the last time we talked."

"You'll always be the number one Nathan to me!" she smiled. "So, is there a reason you called?"

"Actually, yeah." Nathan sighed. "It's about Brooke."

"Oh no. What happened? Is she okay?"

"Physically, yes. She and her husband were going to adopt a baby, but it fell through and the mom decided to keep it. Now she's questioning her marriage and basically admitted that she still has feelings for Lucas."

"Oh wow." She groaned. "That's a lot."

"She's always seemed like she respects and loves you, so do you think you could talk to her?"

"I can try." She grinned. "It's good to see you again, Nate."

He laughed. "You too, Karen."

"Aunt Brooke! Can you drop Madison and Chuck off at their houses?" Jamie asked his godmother as he climbed into the backseat of the car.

"Sure. Where are your parents', guys?"

"They both walk, but it's really cold." Jamie answered for his best friends.

"Just tell me which way to go." Brooke pulled out on the street.

"Where's Lydia?" the seven year old boy questioned.

"Your mom finished at the studio, so she's at home with her. I volunteered to come get you." Brooke stopped at the red light. "How was school, guys?"

"Fun!" Jamie and Madison answered together.

"Chuck?" Brooke glanced at him in the rearview mirror. She knew that Haley didn't really approve of Jamie's friendship with Chuck since he is a bit of a bad influence.

Chuck shrugged. "Okay." She couldn't help but notice he had a black eye.

"Did you get in a fight?"

"No. I, uh, fell."

Brooke knew from when she got Xavier that a black eye like that could only be caused by being hit in the face, but she didn't know Chuck that well and she didn't want to cause any problems. She chose to just drop it.

They arrived at Chuck's first and Brooke studied the house. On the outside, there was nothing that could prove he was being abused, but she knew better than anyone that things could look perfect on the outside but be crumbling on the inside.

"See ya later, losers!" Chuck jumped out of the car and ran to the front door. Brooke waited until he was inside before she pulled away.

"I live two streets that way." Madison pointed to the left, so Brooke went in that direction. She found the house easily and pulled into the driveway. "Bye, Jamie!"

"Bye Madison!" she watched her godson eagerly wave to his friend and smiled knowingly. As soon as she reversed out of the driveway, she spoke.

"You like her, don't you, Jame?"

"What? No! She's a girl!"

"Exactly. I had my first boyfriend when I was four years old." She smiled. "His name was Christopher Ryan and he loved Legos."

"That's a nice story, Aunt Brooke, but Madison is just my friend."

But Brooke knew better. She quit bugging him about it, but something told her that eventually, Jamie and Madison would find their way to each other, even if they were only seven years old.

The drive back to Haley and Nathan's was short. As soon as she got there, Jamie jumped out. "Race ya!"

Brooke ran after him, not even having to let him beat her. She scooped him up right before he entered the front door.

"You cheated!" she kissed his cheek and tickled him, making him scream with laughter.

"Now Brooke, let the poor child breathe!"

Her head shot up and her eyes widened at the person standing in front of her. Karen Roe had spent the last couple of years travelling the world with her husband, Andy Hargrove, and daughter Lily.

"Karen!" Brooke ran into her open arms, smashing Jamie between them. He wiggled out of Brooke's grasp and let two women have their moment. "I've missed you." She whispered.

"Nathan told me what happened. How are you doing?"

Brooke shrugged. "I'm just trying not to think about it."

"You can't bottle up all of your emotions inside of you, Brooke. It's not healthy."

"But it's easy."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you ever do things the easy way? You scrubbed my entire kitchen floor with a sponge."

Brooke froze. "Lucas told you about that?"

She laughed. "Of course he did. Seriously though, you need to really think about what you want."

"But I don't know! I love Julian, but I can just feel that he wasn't ready for this baby. I'm ready to be a mother and we're on completely different pages."

"And Lucas?"

"What do you mean 'and Lucas'?" Brooke groaned. "Nate told you about that too?"

"Yes, he did, but only because he thought that I could help."

"I'm not going to be a home wrecker, so you don't have to worry about that. I don't know why all these feelings have suddenly come rushing back to me, but I'm not going to act on them."

"Maybe they haven't rushed back. They were always there, just buried under the surface and now that you're realizing you can't have everything you want with Julian, you're going to try and find someone else that can give you want you want. You think Lucas might be that person."

Brooke ran a hand through her hair. "This is all so confusing!"

"It wouldn't be life if it wasn't confusing." Karen smiled at her. "You'll figure it out, B. It'll just take some serious thinking."

The doorbell rang right as she finished speaking. Brooke could see through the door that it was her husband. "Looks like I'm going to have to figure it out right now. Excuse me."

Brooke opened up the door and walked outside, coming face to face with Julian.

"Are you okay?" he looked concerned and she felt bad for worrying him.

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Brooke. I know you better than anyone."

"But that's just it. You don't." she took a deep breath. "For the past five years, I've known that I wanted to be a mother. I had finally reached a good point with Clothes over Bros and seeing Haley and Nathan with Jamie…it completely changed my perspective on motherhood. I love children and I'm not trying to say that you loved that baby any less than I did or that you didn't want her, but the truth is that I wanted it more. You're still interested in your career and the next place you can go with that and I think you're realizing that it's not going to happen in Tree Hill. For now, Clothes over Bros is where it needs to be and I have everything settled with it, so the next step for me is to be a mom. We're at different places."

Julian sat down on the steps of Haley and Nathan's porch. Brooke sat next to him and he turned to look at her.

"The film making business in Tree Hill isn't exactly booming, you're right. I would have given that all up to start a family with you."

"But you shouldn't have to." Brooke grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry for being so crazy and fighting with you all the time."

"It's okay, I understand it." Julian looked down at her. "I got an offer to direct a big movie in Los Angeles. I know that you don't want to leave Tree Hill."

"I don't want to feel like we're giving up." Brooke admitted. "Like we're just letting everything go so easily."

"Brooke, the only reason you even agreed to be with me was because Sam begged you to. I always knew that a part of your heart was guarded, and I knew it was because you still had feelings for Lucas. Now I don't know if that's still true, but you haven't ever fully opened up to me. You can't have a relationship without complete love and trust."

Her bottom lip was quivering, so she bit it to stop. She wouldn't cry right now. "Where do we go from here?"

"I need to go to LA. This could be a big step in the right direction for me. This could be the movie that gets me on the radar."

"Then go." Brooke told him. "If there's one thing that I've learned all these years, it's that you need to follow your heart. If your heart is telling you LA, then you need to go."

Julian studied her. "What's your heart telling you?"

Brooke smiled sadly. "That this is gonna be the end for us. I want you to know that I truly do love you, Julian."

"I know you do, and I love you too. You need to do what makes you happy, B. Quit letting other people get in the way of your happiness." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be. We've had a good, what, two years?"

Brooke laughed. "It felt like much longer."

"Yeah, it did. But it's been the best two years of my life." Julian hugged her. "One day, you'll find someone who will love you so much better than I ever could."

"So will you." She pulled her engagement ring and wedding band off of her left hand. "I guess this is goodbye?"

"At least until we sign divorce papers." Julian looked at her. "Brooke Davis is gonna change the world someday, and I'm not sure she even knows it."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "You're really gonna steal lines from Lucas's book now?"

Julian laughed. "Just wanted to see you smile one last time. Thank you for everything, Brooke. I'll have all my stuff out of the house by tomorrow and then I'll be on my way to LA."

"Good luck with everything. I'll be the first one in line to see your movie when it comes out."

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Goodbye."

Brooke stood up, watching him walk down the stairs and get into his car. She waved to him until he was out of sight and that's when it hit her.

She and her husband were getting a divorce.

Brooke turned and went back into the house, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. Karen and Haley were standing in the kitchen with Lydia in the older woman's arms. They both looked at her as she entered.

"Tigger?" Haley called out.

That's when she lost it. The tears poured down her cheeks as Haley came over, pulling her into her arms. She stroked her hair gently as Brooke sobbed.

"It's okay, Brooke. It's gonna be okay." She kept whispering reassurances over and over again until her best friend calmed down enough to actually talk. By that time, Haley was sitting on the couch with Brooke's head in her lap. She continued to stroke her hair. "What happened?"

"We're getting a divorce." Brooke mumbled.

"I'm so sorry."

"I don't know how I feel, Hales. I'm gonna miss him and I'm sad, but I'm not as sad as I think I'm supposed to be and I feel bad because I made him fall in love with me and then I just gave up!"

"First of all, there is no specific amount of sadness that you're supposed to feel. Second, you didn't make him do anything. You guys were both in love with each other, and you can't deny that because I saw you on your wedding day and I know you would have given up almost anything for that man."

"He told me he would give up everything for me and it just reminded me of the time I told Lucas that he was the one boy I would give up everything for. I couldn't love Julian the same way he loved me because there will always be someone I love more."

Haley knew that was true; she had known from the first time Lucas and Brooke dated that there was something special there, but then Peyton interfered. She had thought Lucas would figure it out for himself, but he had clearly made the wrong choice. All she knew was this whole situation was a mess, especially if Lucas loved Peyton the same way that Brooke loved him, and Julian loved Brooke. It was the same way Haley and Nathan loved each other; that once in a lifetime feeling where you just know that you are with the person that God intended for you to find.

"Brooke, are you absolutely sure that you want this divorce from Julian?"

She nodded slowly. "We're just not meant to be."

"You can't give up just because you think it's easier. You have to be absolutely one hundred percent sure."

She sat up and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "It's easier to give up. But that's not why I'm doing it. When I look at Julian, I know that I love him, but I also know that I'm not settling. I've been in an intense, crazy relationship before and I know how that feels and it's not the same way I feel with him. I love him, and I'll always love him. But it's not the same as…" she trailed off.

"It sounds to me like you and Lucas need to have a talk."

Brooke shook her head. "I can't. Only two possible outcomes can come from that. Number One, he rejects me and then my heart gets broken all over again. Or Number Two, he feels the same way and I destroy his family. I won't do that to Peyton."

"Why? She had no problem doing it to you _twice_."

"They have a daughter, Hales. My goddaughter. I can't destroy her family."

Haley could tell that Brooke wasn't going to be persuaded on that subject, so she just dropped it. "You're gonna find someone one day who you can love so much and they will actually love and appreciate you since none of these other guys ever have."

"Besides Julian." Brooke looked at her best friend. "What if I'm making a mistake? What if I should stay with Julian?"

"I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I think."

"Please." Brooke practically begged. She trusted Haley more than anyone in the world and needed her opinion.

"I think that there are just too many differences between you and Julian that have been a big problem for a long time and you guys have just been pushing them off. Where you want to live is one of them. You've always been an amazing friend, and I know that you don't want to miss out on Jamie's and Lydia's lives, so you'll want to be in Tree Hill. Julian doesn't have that same connection because he didn't go to high school with us and he's not their godfather. He wants to be in LA because of his job, which brings up another big point. You both have completely different careers. You started Clothes over Bros at 17 years old and you've been running it since then and it's successful. Julian hasn't been doing his filmmaking for as long, so he's not as used to his job as you are to yours, plus your main Clothes over Bros are in Tree Hill and New York, and the best place for filmmaking is LA. Another problem is the walls you put up around your heart so high that no one can get in." Brooke opened her mouth to protest, but Haley shook her head. "Brooke, you can't deny that. You've been hurt many times, and it's understandable that you do it, but you have a hard time letting people in and it was pretty obvious that you never let Julian completely in. And then there's the baby thing. You're 25, have a successful job, and your closest friends have kids, so why shouldn't you want that too? Julian is 27 with an unsteady career and he's not ready to settle down yet."

"You're right." Brooke leaned her head against Haley's shoulder. "Thank you for letting me stay here. Julian will have everything out by tomorrow and then I'll be out of your way."

"You're not in our way, Tigger. You've been a huge help with Jamie and Lydia." She wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Where's Julian going to live?"

"In LA. He got an offer for a big movie and I told him to go. I need to talk to my lawyer about divorce papers and all that."

"How about you give yourself a chance to breathe first?" Haley suggested. "Worry about that tomorrow."

Karen came in and sat on Brooke's other side. "Haley, Lydia finished her bottle and I put her in her crib." She looked at the brunette. "How are you doing?"

"We're getting a divorce."

"Is that what you want or what he wants?"

"What we both want." Brooke answered, and she could see that it was true. Julian loved her, but he needed to work on his career right now and she could understand that.

"Then I guess this is the best time to tell you both."

"Tell us what?" Brooke and Haley demanded together.

"Lucas is coming to Tree Hill for a week."

"What?" Brooke asked, clearly nervous by the thought of seeing her ex-boyfriend. "Why?"

"Because I called him and told him I was going to be here and I missed him and asked if he would join me. He said he would love to meet his new little niece and see everyone."

"When is he coming?"

"His plane should be landing," she looked at her watch, "about now. I've got to go pick him up. I'll see you later!"

Brooke stayed silent as Haley studied her, trying to gauge her reaction. She was praying that Lucas and Peyton had secretly gotten divorced and he would come back and be with Brooke, but she knew the chances of that were slim to none.

"Why is this happening?" Brooke finally spoke. "Why now?"

"Maybe this is for the best. It's fate, B."

"Stop. Nothing is going to happen. Besides, I'm not even divorced yet. I need to take some time to get over everything that's happened and focus on myself and then maybe I'll consider a relationship with someone else who is not your brother-in-law/my ex-boyfriend/one of my best friend's husband/my goddaughter's father."

"You can just say Lucas, you know."

"No." Brooke stood. "I'm gonna go shower."

Haley watched her disappear up the stairs. It was hard seeing her struggle like this, but she knew that Brooke would figure something out. She always did.

**I forgot to ask in the last chapter, but how would you feel about a potential Quinn/Jake pairing? Or is that too weird?**

**What would you think about Rachel coming back? **

**Did you expect Karen to be the one that Nathan called? Are you glad that he did? **

**Thoughts on the Brulian break-up? **

**I'm really trying to incorporate a lot of Baley/Brathan scenes because I love them, so let me know if you like that or not. **

**What do you think will happen when Lucas comes back?**


End file.
